A True Lover
by xobabygurlxo
Summary: *Don/OC* Kate gets attacked and it's Flack's fault. He needs to protect her and find out who the attacker is before he loses Kate forever.
1. Find this guy

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Kate and Gio's…it's in no way associated with anything else by that name. Just something I made up.

----This is my fourth CSI:NY story that involves Kate. In this one, she is dating Don, but she doesn't have the same background as Flu Baby or A Man's Guilt. She works as a bartender, and was never a jewel thief. She also was never shot or had the flu. ----

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_ A true lover always feels in debt to the one he loves ~ Ralph W. Sockman_

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Kate Monroe stood outside Gio's and lit up her final cigarette of the night. Another night of guys hitting on her and girls puking near her; just a typical day for a New York City bartender. Kate inhaled and exhaled, looking around the still crowded street, and pulled her white slider phone out of her purse and checked the time. Ten minutes after 2 a.m.. She sighed, and shivered in the cold.

All of a sudden, Kate felt a tap on her shoulder. She gasped and turned around quickly, just to find her friend Samantha Flack next to her. "Jesus, Sam, you scared the hell out of me," Kate said.

"Sorry babe," Sam said, hip bumping her friend. "Can I take a drag?" Kate nodded and handed her cigarette over. "Finish it," Kate said. "I'm done with it." Sam agreed, finishing the cigarette. "So what are you standing here waiting for? Our shift's over, Gio's closed," Sam reminded Kate.

"I know," Kate said, "I was waiting for you, you crazy bitch."

Sam laughed and threw her arm around Kate's neck. "You wanna grab some food? I'm starving."

"Nah, I think I'm just gonna head home. It's been a long night and my feet are killing me," Kate replied.

"Suit yourself. Later babe," Sam said, air kissing both of Kate's cheeks and heading off down the street to catch up with someone she knew. Kate looked after her friend and smiled. She took a deep breath of the cold New York air, shivered slightly, and took off in the opposite direction Sam went.

Kate was half way home when she was suddenly pushed into an alley and up against the wall. She gasped, and went to scream, but the man put his hand over her mouth. He was behind her, so she couldn't see him that well, but she instantly bit his hand, and back kicked him. Those kickboxing classes were finally coming in handy. The man groaned, muttered the word "bitch" and went at her, grabbing her ankle and twisting it before backhanding Kate in the face, and taking hold of her throat, pushing her back against the wall, choking her. "You can run but you can't hide, sweetheart," he muttered. "I'm coming after you. Tell your boyfriend you're gonna pay for his mistake." He kissed her hard on the mouth, felt her try to kick again, and hit her one more time. He dropped her to the ground, and as she tried to gain her breath back, he kicked her in the side a few times, before finally running off.

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Sam Flack paced the hospital waiting room. She had walked about two blocks away from the bar before changing her mind, going after Kate instead. Sam decided they could eat grilled cheese and ice cream like they did a few times after work, and went after her friend to join her. Walking toward Kate's apartment, though, is when Sam found her friend lying in an alley, coughing and crying. She immediately ran to Kate's side, and called an ambulance.

Then she called her brother.

Don Flack ran into the hospital looking for his sister. He was dressed in jeans and an old long sleeved shirt, having been woken up by Sam's call. He spotted his sister pacing the hallway near the nurse's station – what qualified as a "waiting room" - and ran up to her.

"Donnie," Sam said before being wrapped in a hug by her big brother. She was then immediately bombarded with questions. She told Don she didn't know anything, and explained the events of the evening. "She looked bad, Don. And they aren't telling me anything."

Just at that minute a doctor came out to talk to the Flacks. "A couple of broken ribs, bruise on her forehead, a sprained ankle; could've been a lot worse. She needs to keep that ankle elevated to reduce swelling, but I see no reason for observation. I'll get her discharge papers ready. She'll be out shortly, and I'll have a nurse get her some crutches."

Don and Sam thanked the doctor, and waited for Kate to come out. They only had to wait about a minute or two, because all of a sudden they saw Kate limp out from one of the back rooms. Don ran over to her and gathered her in his arms. He felt her wince at the contact to her broken ribs, and he immediately let go and apologized.

"How you doing? Huh? You OK?" Don asked, examining the square shaped bandage on Kate's forehead. She winced at that as well, and didn't say anything to Don. The doctor came and gave Kate her crutches as well as some pain pills. Kate signed her papers, and the doctor left.

Don offered to bring her to his apartment to recover, but Kate ignored him, instead looking to Sam. "Can you bring me home, Sam?" Kate asked, her eyes pleading with her friend.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? I just said I'll take you to my place," Don said, softly touching Kate's arms.

Kate shrugged him off and looked at Sam again. "Sam, _please_ take me home." Sam looked between Don and Kate, before finally agreeing with Kate. Kate didn't even look at Don as she crutched off down the hallway.

"I'm sorry," Sam said to Don. He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "Find out what happened, and don't let her out of your sight, OK?" Don asked. Sam nodded, and hugged her brother again before going after her friend.

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The next day at noon, Don showed up at Kate's apartment with a couple officers. He looked at Sam, who had opened the door, and asked where Kate was.

"She's sleeping," Sam replied. "And I don't think she wants to see you."

"What'd she tell you?" Don asked, obviously surprised that Kate wouldn't want to see him. He hadn't done anything.

Sam hesitated before answering. "She said the guy who attacked her told her she would pay for _your_ mistake."

Don stood there, confused, and went to say something when Kate's voice stopped him. She had walked out of her room and was staring at the two officers Don had brought with him. "What the hell is this?" she asked. "Why are they here?"

Don walked past Sam and over to Kate. She backed away slowly, trying to watch her ankle. "They're here for protection," Don answered. "They're gonna be looking after you so that this maniac don't come after you again." Kate shook her head, instantly refusing the help, and started to walk over to kick the officers out when she stepped on her ankle, and crumbled under the pain. Don caught her in his arms, and held onto her. "Hey, stop it, all right? Charles and Martinez here are just gonna look after you."

"I don't need them, Don."

"After what this guy said to you, yeah, I think you do!" Don yelled at her.

"Sam! Why did you tell him?" Kate whined. She had broken free from Don almost as quickly as he had grabbed her, and she was now leaning against the wall.

"He deserved to know, K. He can help you."

"I don't need his help! It's his fault this happened in the first place!" Kate yelled.

"Look, Angell's coming over to get your statement," Don interrupted, wanting to get started on finding this guy. "Martinez is gonna stay in here with you to make sure this guy don't sneak in a window or something, and Charles will be outside."

"Don, don't do this. They don't need to be here. I'm sure they have tons of better stuff to do than babysit me," Kate said.

"Actually, ma'am, Charles and I are happy to be of service," Martinez spoke up, bowing his head slightly. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Yo, Martinez. Do something stupid like that again and I'll end you," Flack said. Martinez understood and shut up, Charles laughing slightly.

"Donnie, maybe she doesn't need all this stuff, huh?" Sam spoke up.

Don turned on both women. "Kate gets protection. I don't want her to leave this apartment without a police escort. I don't want her alone. At all. Period." Kate rolled her eyes and threw her arms up in frustration. She stormed off into her bedroom – as best she could with the crutch that was in her living room – and slammed the door.

Sam went up to Don, and said, "You better find this guy," before walking off after her friend.

Don sighed and looked at the two younger officers before him. He walked up and looked at each of them. "One of you in here, one of you in the hall. I find out either of you left your post, or left her alone, you'll be done. Understand?" Both officers nodded, and Flack went off. Charles grabbed a water bottle and a chair out of the kitchen before heading out into the hallway. Martinez laughed as he settled on the sofa with the TV Guide.


	2. What's wrong?

Detective Jessica Angell made her way up the elevator to the fourth floor of the apartment building. The elevator dinged, and she stepped off, making her way to apartment 4B – that had Officer Charles sitting outside of it. She stifled a laugh as she saw Charles start to nod off. Jess went over and tapped him on the shoulder, and he jolted awake.

"Flack would kill you if he saw you sleeping on the job," Jess told him. He nodded, and she knocked on the door. Martinez answered.

"Detective Angell," he said with a smirk, "Come to join the party?"

"Not on your life, Martinez." Jess walked in and didn't see Kate anywhere. "Where is she?"

"Went to the bathroom."

"Trying to escape from you, I'm sure."

Martinez smirked. Kate came limping out of her bathroom and seemed happy to see Jess. "Oh, thank God. Can you send him somewhere, Jess? He's pissing me off and I'm seriously considering throwing him out the window," Kate said.

Jess smiled at her friend. "Martinez, go get some coffee for you and Charles."

Martinez gave a mock salute, and left. Jess rolled her eyes again and went over to give Kate a huge. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm fine. If Don would just let Officers Charles and Martinez go home instead of creeping on me, I'd be even better. Any chance you can talk to him?"

Jess smiled sadly at her friend. "Sorry. He's bent on making sure you have full protection. It's kind of sweet."

"Yeah, sweet my ass. He's being over-protective and it's pissing me off."

"If it makes you feel better," Jess said, sitting down on the couch with Kate, "He's pissing everyone else off too, trying to find the guy who did this. He's been yelling at everyone and is forcing everyone in the lab and the precinct to work on this case and only this case." Kate nodded, seeming to like this. As much as she put up her "I can protect myself" front, she liked that Don was out there trying to set things right. "So," Jess continued. "I thought Don's sister was here with you."

"Yeah," Kate said. "I made her leave though. She was tired and I do have two cops looking after me, after all. Oh my God, I'm so sorry Jess. This must be such an imposition for you. Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

Jess smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks, really. And it isn't an imposition, I'm glad to do it. You're my friend too. Oh, and your sister was going crazy earlier; you might want to call her." Kate nodded, and Jess continued. "So, you wanna talk about what happened? Get it out of the way?"

Kate repeated the same story she had told Sam to Jess, with Jess nodding sympathetically and writing down everything Kate said. "Could you get a description of the guy? Any tattoos, weird piercings or scars?"

Kate thought a moment. "Well, it was pretty dark. But, I'm pretty sure he had a scar on his right cheek, a-and maybe an ear piercing."

"OK, that's great. You did good. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Nope, nothing. Just that he said that I would pay for Don's mistake, which I can't figure out."

"Don't worry, we will. Are you OK, really? Don said you were pretty shaken up."

"Well, I'm trying my hardest to be OK. It was scary, I'm not denying it. But I just want you to catch him, and I'd also like to know what Don's mistake was. I'm having a hard time trusting him right now."

Jess put her hand on Kate's. "Trust me, Don didn't do anything wrong. This mistake is all in this psycho's head, OK? I know Don, and so do you. You know he couldn't have done anything wrong."

Kate nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Jess."

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After much persuading from just about everyone he knew, Don was forced to go home. But he knew he couldn't go home to _his_ home; so he wound up at Kate's apartment. He saw Charles still sitting outside, and Don took pity on the young man.

"Hey, Charles."

"Hey, Flack. You get the guy yet?"

Flack shook his head. "Not yet, but we will. Listen, you can go home now. I'll take over for the night, and I got a couple officers stationed outside the building. Thanks for everything."

"My pleasure, Flack." Charles couldn't help the smile on his face as he left. Flack was happy at that.

He knocked on the door, and Martinez answered. After seeing it was safe, Martinez let Flack in. Don saw Kate sitting on the couch watching TV, totally oblivious to anyone other than whoever was on the screen. "How's she been?" Flack asked.

Martinez shrugged. "Seemed fine to me. She made us dinner, spent a lot of time watching TV or reading magazines. Detective Angell spent some time here, and that seemed to make her happy. I put extra locks on the windows, just in case."

Flack rubbed his tired face. "Thanks, Martinez. You can go home now, I got it under control." Martinez nodded, and walked off.

Flack threw his jacket over the breakfast nook, and loosened his tie. He unbuttoned his sleeves, rolling them up, and unbuttoned the top button on his shirt. He noticed that Kate didn't look up once. He sighed, being very tired, and walked over to sit next to her on the couch. She didn't look at him. He took the time to look at her, taking her in. She had a bandage on her forehead, and the one on her ankle. Her straight, brown hair was in a ponytail, and she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a zip-up hoodie. She was adorable.

"How are you?" he asked, thinking that was a good place to start. She just nodded, signifying she was OK. "How's the ankle?"

"It's fine."

"Why isn't it up?" he asked, noticing it wasn't elevated like the doctor said it should be.

She shrugged. "Didn't feel like it."

Flack sighed. "You gotta keep it up, Kate."

Kate got off the couch. "I'm going to bed."

Don rolled his eyes. "You gotta take better care of youself, Kate! Your ankle needs to be up, and you need to be taking your pain pills; I know you're not."

Kate turned on him. "Don't tell me what to do! I'm not a child, Flack, I can certainly take a pill by myself. I wasn't in any pain."

Flack shot up from his spot on the couch. "That's bull, and you know it. Every time I come near you, you flinch in pain. You need to take them, Kate, they'll help."

"Maybe it's not the pain; maybe it's you. Ever think of that?"

Flack hesitated, slightly shocked by her comment. "You know what, I'm done with this. I wanna know right now why you're acting this way."

Kate looked at him, hands on her hips. He didn't back down. "Just forget it," she said. "I'm going to bed."

She grabbed one of her crutches that was leaning against the couch, but Flack grabbed it first and threw it behind him. "No. You're not going anywhere until we settle this. I'm not going another minute without knowing what the hell is wrong with you."

Tears sprang to Kate's eyes. For the first time all day, she felt the pain in her ankle and her ribs that the doctor was talking about. She was standing on one ankle and saw that Don really wasn't backing down. She started to shake, not being used to standing on one foot while in great pain before. "Can I please have my crutch?" she asked.

"After you tell me what's bothering you."

The tears actually started to fall down Kate's face. "Donnie, please. It hurts."

Don realized that she really was in pain, and guilt flooded him instantly. He ran to her, and she fell into his arms. He lifted her up easily, and carried her to her bedroom as she softly cried. He laid her down gently, and brushed some tears off her face. "I'm gonna get your pills, OK? I'll be right back." He kissed her forehead softly, and ran off to get the pills.

He found them sitting on the breakfast nook, probably from when she had first gotten home. He took out the recommended dosage, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and went back into Kate's bedroom. She was laying on the bed, clutching her chest, crying, and breathing heavily. Don went to her and helped her sit up. Once sitting, he helped her take her pill, constantly brushing hair off her forehead and tears off her face. After taking her pill, Don helped her lay back down.

"Hey, how you feeling? Huh? You OK? What hurts, baby, tell me," Don said to her, rubbing his hands up her sides.

"M-my ribs hurt. And my ankle. And my head," she said softly.

"OK, OK." He ran his hands under her shirt to her chest, and when he felt the bandage he rubbed gently. She gasped in pain, and he stopped. "I'm sorry." She blew out a shaky breath, and he apologized again. "Just don't touch it," she said. "Just don't leave me. Please."

"Never, I swear it." He kissed her forehead again, and just held her to his chest as she continued to softly cry and clutch her chest.


	3. Break Down Here

Don woke up at around 3 a.m. to find the bed empty next to him. It had taken Kate an hour to calm down before she finally fell asleep. He stayed awake for another hour, watching over her, before he drifted asleep as well. In her sleep, he could see her frowning, and she tried to toss around but Don was able to hold her against him.

He shot out of bed, grabbed his gun by the nightstand, and went out to the living room. If he had fallen asleep and she was hurt in any way, he'd never forgive himself. In those few feet from the bedroom to the living room, a million different scenarios ran through his mind. She got up to get some water, stepped on her ankle the wrong way, fell, hit her head, and she's dead. She went to go to the bathroom and the guy after her kidnapped her. He couldn't stop them from coming.

That's why he was so relieved, and a little pissed off, to see the glow from the television and Kate sitting in front of it, perfectly fine. He sighed, placed his gun on a nearby table, and walked behind her, not sitting near her or touching her.

"I thought somethin' happened to you," he said softly so he wouldn't scare her. She didn't budge. "You feelin' OK?" he asked, not moving from his spot. She nodded.

Realizing she wasn't going to say anything, he went and sat next to her. She didn't have that strange stare on her face like she did earlier, it was more relaxed. He brushed some hair off her face, and noticed that when he did, she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. He appreciated this response, hoping it meant they'd be back to normal soon. "What's the matter?" he asked, stroking her cheek softly and brushing his fingers against the bandage on her forehead. "Couldn't sleep?" She simply shook her head. "You havin' nightmares, or.."

"I don't want to talk about it," she said quickly.

He just nodded, and let his hand drop. "So what you watchin' then?" he asked, turning to the TV.

"You don't have to sit here with me. Go back to bed. I'm fine," she said.

He stretched his arms behind him, putting one arm around her shoulders, and said, "I'd rather stay with you, if you don't mind."

She slowly nodded. "I guess so. But, at least go change into something more comfortable," she said, tugging at his tie. He smiled, and agreed, kissing her temple and going to search for clothes of his that he knew he had there. Finding a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt he remembered from when he came over after playing basketball with Danny, he put them on and went back out into the living room. Kate was now curled up on the couch, her throw blanket across her lap, and looked up when he came in. He smiled at her, and she actually smiled back. She leaned forward, indicating he wanted his arm around her, which he happily obliged, and he gently pushed her against him, kissing her temple again.

They sat there watching an old re-run of some show on TV Land, and it felt just like old times. Kate played with his fingers that rested on her thigh, and he played with her hair. Kate looked over at Don, who smiled back at her before turning his attention back to the TV. Kate sighed, thinking about what she wanted to talk about, but trying to find a way to bring it up. "Don, can I talk to you about something?"

"Absolutely," he said, turning the TV on mute. He'd been waiting for this.

"OK, um, this is hard for me," she said, nervously. Don took her hand, and said, "It's OK, take your time." Kate took a breath, and looked very seriously at Don. "I need you to be honest with me. Did you do something horrible that would make someone want to hurt me just to get to you?"

Don looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Did you do something terrible, something you would've never told me if I hadn't been attacked?"

"No! Of course not," Don said. "You don't believe me?"

"You're a cop, Donnie. Things happen, I understand. But I think I should know why someone wants to kill me because of something you did."

"I've never done anything that wasn't for a good reason. You know I wouldn't do that."

Kate nodded. "I thought I did. But if you did something, I'd understand why you wouldn't be talking about it. Hell, I didn't even know you got blown up that time if it hadn't been for Lindsay calling me."

"Well its not like I could've called you myself, Kate, I was lying in a hospital…"

"Dying! You were dying and no one told me, so forgive me if I'm not exactly completely trusting of your cop buddies."

Don sighed and looked at her. "You've been through a rough time. Why don't you just go to bed and try to get…"

"Don't ignore this!" Kate yelled, getting more aggravated that he was dodging the question. She had moved to the far end of the couch, away from him, and was about to say something else when the phone rang. "Hello?" she yelled into it.

"Up early I see."

It was him. Kate's face dropped, and Don noticed, rushing to her side. She brushed him off, wanting to listen to the man who attacked her. "Having nightmares, precious? You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"What do you want?" Kate asked.

"I want justice. I want Donald Flack to lose someone he cares about, just like I did."

Kate looked at Don, who was looking concerned at her. "He hasn't done anything to you," she said.

"Oh, but he has. But don't worry, precious, I won't forget about you. You're gonna succumb to me and we'll watch Flack go down together, huh?"

"No, you're wrong. You'll never get to him or me you sick son of a bitch," Kate yelled, and hung up the phone, slamming it down on the table.

She started crying again, and Don instantly wrapped her in his arms. "Baby, it's OK. It's gonna be OK, I promise you."

"He wants to hurt you Donnie," she said, clinging to him. "And he wants me to watch."

Don shook his head, tears coming to his eyes as well. He held her as close as he could, rubbing one hand down her back and the other against her hair. "That won't happen. I promise you, I won't let that happen. OK? Nothing's gonna happen to me, and you're gonna be fine. I'll make sure of it." He kissed her head a couple times, before just holding her and letting her cry.

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Sam Flack knocked on her friend's door with her elbow, her arms currently holding a bag of donuts and a tray of three coffees. It took a second before Don opened it.

"Thanks for coming, Sam," he said, taking the coffee and letting her in.

"It's no trouble at all. She's my best friend. I just hope she can drink coffee on those pills the docs have her on."

Don smiled, putting the coffee on the counter and said, "I think it'll be fine." He then made his way into Kate's bedroom, grabbing his jacket off a nearby chair.

She was curled up in bed, and he took her comforter and placed it over her shoulders before kissing her forehead. "Baby, I'm leaving," he said quietly. "Sam's gonna stay with you, OK?"

Kate nodded. "When are you coming back?" she asked. After the phone call, she didn't let Don out of her sight. She would only fall asleep if he held onto her and promised not to leave.

"Soon as I can, OK? I promise."

She nodded again, and tugged at his tie for him to come closer. She kissed him, and ran her fingers through his hair, before letting go, and whispering, "Be safe." He nodded, kissed her again, and left the room.

"She had a rough night, I don't know how much she'll sleep if at all," he explained to Sam, who was sitting on Kate's couch. "I got a couple officers coming over in about an hour or so, and please make sure she eats something." Sam nodded, and Don thanked her again before hugging his sister, taking a coffee, and leaving.

Sam was settling herself in on the couch with her coffee and a donut when Kate crutched in, wearing jeans and a tank top instead of her sweats. "Hey babe," Sam said, walking over to her friend, and giving her a hug. "How you doin'? Donnie says you ain't too hot."

"I'm OK, Sam, thanks. Did you bring me something?" she asked, looking toward the counter.

"You bet. French vanilla latte and chocolate glazed donut, just like you like."

"I love you." Kate went over to go to the counter, but Sam stopped her. "I'll get it," she said, "You go sit." Kate thanked her, and sat on the couch.

"Your phone's on the table," Kate said, eyeing the familiar red phone.

"Yeah, I know, thanks for telling me where I put something," Sam joked.

Kate laughed. "Just watching your back, babe."

Sam went to go warm up Kate's latte, but accidentally dropped it. "Oh, crap," she said. "I'm sorry." She got a towel and started cleaning it up.

"You drop my latte? Well, take some money out of my purse and go get me another one," Kate said, smiling at her friend.

Sam hesitated. She didn't mind going to get another coffee, but Don had told her not to leave the apartment. And the cops weren't there yet. "Um, how about in an hour or so?"

Kate realized the problem instantly. "Samantha, go. Seriously. It'll take you ten minutes, I think I can hold my own."

Sam entered the living room and looked uncomfortable. "I know, but, I'd feel better if someone were here…"

"Samantha Flack if you don't go right now, _and_ take enough money to get yourself something, I will never speak to you again," Kate said, smiling to let Sam know she was joking.

Sam sighed. "OK, fine. But I promise I'll be quick. Don't open the door to strangers or nothin'."

Kate laughed. "OK, mommy, I promise. My purse is over there. Oh, and can you hand me my phone? I want to check my messages."

Sam took some money out of Kate's wallet, and gave her her phone. "I'll be back in ten, doll."

Kate laughed at the nickname, and looked at her phone. She had a text from just about everyone that worked with Lindsay, even Mac. Kate wasn't even sure Mac knew how to send a text, but she appreciated it anyway. After responding to her texts, she put her phone in her pocket, and turned the TV on.

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Sam walked through the apartment door 20 minutes later. Kate wasn't in the living room, but the TV was on. "Sorry it took so long, the line was insane." There was no response. "Kate? Hey, where are you?"

Sam put the bags she had down on the counter, and went around the apartment. Kate wasn't there. "Kate?" she asked again.

That's when she noticed it.

The front window in the living room was open slightly, and a flower pot that sat next to it was on the floor. Sam didn't need to be a NYPD detective to figure out what had happened.

Her best friend had been kidnapped.


	4. Written on the Wall

"Donnie, I swear, I was only gone 20 minutes! She made me go!" Sam yelled at her brother who had cops and CSIs sweeping through Kate's apartment.

"And what'd I tell you Sam? Huh? She was not to be left alone!" Don responded. Sam sighed and dropped her head to her lap, tears forming in her eyes. Don realized it wasn't really her fault, and he was sure she felt bad enough as it was. "Look, I promised her nothing would happen to her, and I don't wanna let her down. Understand?"

"Yeah, of course."

Don nodded, and gave his sister a reassuring pat on the back. Stella appeared next to him. "You two OK?" she asked. The Flacks nodded, and Don asked what she had. "She was dragged out, probably drugged."

"She was 5'5", it wouldn't be hard," Sam said. Stella agreed.

"Do we have anything that can help me catch this guy?" Don asked. Stella hesitated. He sighed and turned around to where a glass was sitting. He picked it up and threw it against the wall, having it shatter in many different pieces. "Dammit!" he yelled, getting frustrated. Stella understood his frustration, and she took him out into the hall to talk to him in private.

"We'll find her, Don," she said.

"I have to find her, Stell. I can't let her down. I promised I'd protect her, that nothing would happen, and I haven't broken a promise to her yet. I'm not gonna start with this one."

Stella nodded, and gave her friend a pat on the arm. She started to talk when Don's phone rang. "Don't worry," she said, "We're the best. We'll get her back." Looking at his phone, Don lost all color in his face. "What is it?" Stella asked.

Don said simply, "It's from Kate," and handed Stella the phone. It was a text message that read simply, HELP ME.

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"OK, her phone is still on," Adam said, "And we can pin point her location, granted she has it on her still."

"We just have to hope she does," Lindsay said, worried sick about her sister. "Do what you can, Adam."

Adam nodded, and Lindsay waited for the result. She rocked on her heels a little, obviously nervous, and Adam looked to her and offered a small smile of comfort. She smiled back, thankful for a friend like Adam, and looked at the monitor. "Is that it?" she asked.

"Yep. Kate, well, her cell, is at..." Adam paused, confused by the result. "What is it?" Lindsay asked. He looked to her.

"Her cell's at the police station."

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Flack and Danny ran through the police station, calling Kate's cell every 30 seconds hoping to hear it ring.

_"Hi, it's Kate. I'm not here right now, so please leave a message and I'll get back to you…"_

"Dammit, come on, where are you," Flack muttered to himself. Not hearing it near reception, and no one at reception knowing anything about a cell being dropped off, Flack went near the interrogation rooms.

Danny was walking through the desks in the main room, and was about to leave when he heard a phone ring that sounded similar to Kate's. He followed the sound, and found that it was near Don's desk. Not only was it near the desk, it was in it. He called Flack quickly, who thankfully picked up. "Flack, I found it. It's in your desk."

Flack came running out to where Danny was, and threw open the drawer he said it was in. Inside was Kate's white phone, and a note near it. Danny put on a glove he had in his pocket, and carefully placed the phone in a bag to be analyzed. He then took out the note, and slowly opened it with a pen. It was an address to a warehouse facility written in Kate's handwriting. Along with the address came a note, SAVE ME.

Don was out of the building by the time Danny put the note in a bag.

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Thankfully, Angell had seen Don fly out of the building. She had heard what happened to Kate, and she followed him to his car.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"We got an address. I'm going to track it down."

"Not alone. Let's get a team…"

"No time, Jess. Kate needs me," Don said, getting in the driver's seat of a cop car. Jess got in the passenger seat. "I'm coming with you. Go." Don nodded, and off he went, not seeing Jess sending a text message to Danny telling him where they were going and to have backup follow.

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Kate sat against the wall, her hands handcuffed behind her back. She had been forced to kneel against the wall, which hurt her ankle more than anything. He knew that though. Of course he did. Kate let out a deep breath, trying not to cry because it only made things worse. She had cried when the chloroform wore off, and he just beat her harder for it. Her ribs hurt, her ankle hurt, she had bruises and cuts all over her face, arms, and legs, and her clothes were ripped. He didn't rape her. He told her he wouldn't. He just wanted the allusion to be there.

She thought he wouldn't see her phone. He had been watching through the window and saw her play with Sam's phone that Kate had then put on the side table. She hoped he figured that was her phone, and that she didn't have the extra one on her. When she woke up and found herself in the cell she was in, she took the phone out and texted a message to Don, knowing they could track the phone if they knew she had it. He came in just as it sent, though, and took the phone away. She didn't know where he put it, but she no longer had it. He came back in two minutes later and forced her to write down an address and the words "Save Me." She didn't know why, she just did it. He thanked her with a backhand across the face.

She tried thinking positively. Don was gonna come in any moment and save her. Or maybe Lindsay would come. Or Angell, or Mac, or Stella. Hell, maybe Danny would come. That thought made her laugh slightly. Danny coming to save her? No way in hell that would happen. But the others were a possibility.

She heard the slamming of a door, and looked up to see him walk back in. "Show time precious." He said, before coming over and blindfolding her. Her whimpers were all that she could manage.

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Flack and Angell got out of the car, and instantly went to the back to retrieve their bullet proof vests. Flack sighed when he saw another car that held Mac, Stella and Danny in it drive up, as well as a few more cop cars, and a last car that held Hawkes and Lindsay. He looked to Angell and she didn't back down under his gaze. "You needed this," she said. He nodded, realizing she was right. He couldn't save Kate if he was dead.

Everyone got out of the car, and Mac started to tell Don that maybe he and Lindsay should stay behind, but after seeing the determined look on Flack's face, Mac changed his mind. They got everyone together, and surrounded the building.

Once inside the warehouse, there were various calls of "NYPD" being shouted, but no one saw anything. There were lots of corners in this warehouse – someone took the time to set up boxes and stuff that had to be looked around. There was a second story, too, and Flack was gonna make sure he covered every inch of it.

All of a sudden there was a cry for Flack. He ran to where a young officer named Kentwood was standing, and looked at what was behind the grate. Flack gasped, and suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Smeared along a small section of the wall was a message written in what Flack assumed to be blood.

TOO LATE.


	5. Goodbyes

Scared wasn't the right word.

Kate Monroe got scared easily. She couldn't get through _Halloween_ or _Nightmare on Elm Street_ without putting a pillow in front of her face or burying her head into someone's shoulder. As a child, Kate was always the one to scream when a spider was in the house, while her brothers and sister wanted to keep it as a pet.

But now, for what Kate was going through, scared wasn't the word. It was beyond scared. It was absolute terror that she had never felt before.

She didn't know where she was. She was in some sort of car or van, she knew that because she was moving. She tried to get the blindfold off, but it was way too tight. The only thing she could hear was the sound of the car moving, not even any traffic. He had given her something; some kind of sedative, she wasn't sure, but she kept drifting in and out of consciousness. She wanted to stay awake and stay alert for clues to where she was or an escape plan, but she just couldn't. Don would be ashamed of her.

Don seemed to be the only thing she could think of. She thought she might escape, or that someone would save her, but as time went on, she lost more and more hope. She was going to die with this lunatic, and she'd never see Don again.

Many memories flew into her head – childhood, teenage years, moving to New York, on and on. Memories of Don seemed to take over her subconscious. One in particular, not a very happy one, kept playing on repeat in her head…

FLASHBACK

_Don had been hurt. Badly. And no one told her, until finally Lindsay called._

_Kate was upset. _Very_ upset. No one took the liberty to call her when it had happened? What if he had died, and she would never get to say a goodbye or see him again?_

_When she got to the hospital, everyone was stationed outside Don's room. Kate wanted someone to blame, and as she searched their faces, she saw they were all hurting. Mac seemed the most upset – Lindsay had mentioned Mac was there when Don got hurt, so he had his own thing going on. Stella was trying to comfort him, and Lindsay and Danny were standing against the wall. Once Kate got there, Lindsay ran to her and hugged her. Kate didn't return the hug. Danny looked away, seeing that Kate was pissed. _

_Lindsay finally pulled away and looked at her sister. Kate, eyes teary but voice not breaking, said, "How is he?"_

_"They think he's going to be fine," Lindsay said, trying to brush tears off her sister's face. Kate batted her hands away. _

_"How could you have not told me?" she asked. "Isn't it cop protocol to call loved ones once one of their own gets hurt? Why the hell didn't that happen this time!?" Lindsay tried to keep Kate quiet, which angered Kate more. Danny tried getting involved, and Kate made it very clear she didn't want to speak to him. "You're his best friend," she said. "After all he does for you, don't you think you could take the same courtesy and take care of him?" Danny had nothing to say. _

_A doctor came out and told them Don would be fine. Kate was ecstatic, and wanted to see him. But then she saw Mac. He needed to go in first. Don would be there for more moments with her, so she could wait. _

_She didn't tell him until a couple weeks later that she was never told about his condition. He apologized, and made sure everyone knew that if something were to happen she was the first to be called. _

_On the day he was released, she was standing next to his bed packing his stuff. He wheeled himself in on his wheelchair and whistled at her. She turned around, blushed and smiled. She didn't talk, however, and he gave her an odd look. "What's wrong?" he asked._

_She just smiled and said, in a low voice, "Nothing. Did your last tests go OK?"_

_Don nodded, getting out of the wheelchair to stand next to her. She protested. "Donnie, come on, sit back down. Listen to what the doctors say, for once, and do it, please…." As she rambled on, he just held onto her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her. "Thank you for being here," he whispered. She nodded, touching his cheek, and made him sit down again._

_He sat back down and watch her get lost in packing – something that never happened. He knew what she was thinking, it was the same thing she had been thinking for a while. "I'm here, you know," he said. She didn't look at him, but she straightened up so he knew she heard him. "I didn't die, I'm right here. You can pinch me if you like," he joked. She shook hi s head, and when she turned around she was crying softly. "Hey, it was just a joke," he said, wheeling himself closer to her, making her sit on the bed. _

_"You almost did die though," she said. "And, I wouldn't have gotten a chance to say goodbye, or anything. You'd just be gone, and I'd be stuck here, alone."_

_He held onto her hand. "You're never alone," he said. "I wouldn't allow it." He chuckled, which made her smile. "Don't worry about this anymore. Whenever we die, we will get the chance to say our goodbyes and our 'anythings,' OK? I promise." She nodded. "I'm not leaving here without saying goodbye, and neither are you." She smiled, and wiped her tears away. "Thanks," she whispered. _

_A doctor came in, saying they just needed Don for a second, and he looked to Kate to see if it was OK. She nodded, and they held their hands together until he wheeled himself too far away to hold onto it any longer. "I'll be back, OK?" he asked. She nodded. He winked at her, and wheeled himself off. She smiled, took a deep breath, and finished packing his stuff._

END FLASHBACK

Don was known for keeping his promises, especially to her. He had promised they'd get to say their goodbyes, and now she wasn't so sure that promise would be fulfilled. All she could do was pray he found her in time.


	6. Fear No Evil

Flack had to get out.

He had cops, CSIs – everyone – searching the entire warehouse. He had to step outside to get some air – he felt like he couldn't breathe in that warehouse. He could smell blood, drugs – death. He just knew it was Kate's blood on that wall, and he couldn't stand the sight of it.

Standing out in the alley, the noise of sirens and cops yelling to each other all seemed to melt away as Flack focused on his breathing. He took three deep breaths, and choked back a sob. He couldn't let his guard down – especially not now when Kate was out there depending on him to find her.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Flack turned around to see an older woman standing nearby, looking at him. Flack cleared his throat and asked what she needed. "Are you looking for the man who was here earlier today?"

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Flack didn't waste any time. He called out to Mac and the rest of the CSI team to come out and listen to what Marilyn Lutkins had to say.

"He left about half an hour ago, you guys were about 20 minutes too late. He drove away in this white Sedan…."

Mac interrupted her. "Did you see a license plate?"

Marilyn looked startled by the sudden question. "Well, I-I didn't think of it, but now that you mention it I believe it started with a 72..something. Maybe my husband can tell better. Herman? Did you see the license plate of that white Sedan next door?"

Flack sighed, getting frustrated with the old couple. Stella touched his arm to keep him calm. Losing his cool wouldn't help Kate.

An old man limped over to Marilyn, using a cane to assist him. "You say something, Marilyn?" Flack sighed again, and Stella gave him a stern but sympathetic look. "Oh, the Sedan parked next door? Yeah, it's been there a few times. Goes away, comes back. Over the past week or two I'd say."

"Did you see a license plate, Mr. Lutkins?" Mac asked again, not letting Flack speak for fear of an outburst.

Herman hesitated, thinking. "Yes, actually. I like to note strange things in the neighborhood – kind of what I'm known for. Anyway, I think it was 920-PKA." Flack was on the phone calling in an APB before Herman even finished his sentence.

The CSIs thanked him before following off after Flack. Herman and Marilyn looked at each other and shrugged.

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Flack had never sped so fast before in his life. Almost as soon as the APB was put out, a call came in seeing the vehicle heading toward Brooklyn. Mac, Stella, Danny and Hawkes followed. Lindsay was ordered back to the lab to help Adam - Mac reasoned that she'd be more help in the lab then driving around New York.

Flack found out that the car was parked at a private airport. He saw the car before he saw the hangar. Concerned Kate might still be inside, Flack didn't ram the car like he wanted to. He threw the car into park, and drew his gun even before the others arrived. Flack didn't hesitate as he headed toward the open hangar, but stopped when he heard a gunshot. Someone was firing at him.

Danny pulled his car in front of Flack, protecting him from going too far and the gunman from shooting him. Hawkes rolled out his side and Danny opened his door, slipping out the side and going around the back of the car. Mac and Stella pulled up next to them – guns drawn. They stood down, though, waiting for more gunshots. None came. A voice, however, did.

"Detective Flack. Good to see you and your cavalry showed up to see the show. I knew it was a good move to park my car at that warehouse. Old man Lutkins checks out every strange car in his neighborhood. I knew it wouldn't be long until he phoned it in. Have you been to the warehouse? Nice isn't it. Roomy. But your girlfriend can tell you all about her experience there. Or, maybe she can't."

The voice was coming over a loud speaker and Flack had to use the radio in his car to call out to the bastard. "Who are you? What do you want?" Flack asked, not wanting to play his games.

"I thought I made that clear that my goal was to hurt you in the way you hurt me."

"Then take me!" Flack said. "Let Kate go, she's innocent in all of this. Take me instead!"

The voice laughed. "Who said she was innocent? Detective, were you aware that your girlfriend was involved with my brother when you were still courting her?" Silence. Flack wasn't aware of Kate dating anyone when they started seeing each other. "Oh, I guess not. I just can't seem to keep a secret, now can I?"

"Don't let him get to you, Flack," Danny said. "This bastard is probably lying to get a rise out of you."

Flack acknowledged what Danny said, but still had doubt. "So what does all of that have to do with me? She didn't have to date me if she loved your brother."

The voice laughed. "Loved? More like she screwed my brother. And, poor bro, he was arrested by an arrogant cop named Donald Flack."

"I've arrested a lot of people. Why don't you give me a clue as to who your brother is?"

"Was. You see, my brother died before his trial could even start. They said he killed himself, but I think he had some encouragement."

The CSIs were thinking of possible cases where this happened over the past few years. Flack was still caught up in the voice. "I never encouraged anyone to kill themselves. What would make you think I'd make your brother an exception?"

"I was told you were pushing for my brother's arrest, and if you knew my brother, he was not a selfish man. He was religious – and if you read the Bible, you will find out that suicide is frowned upon. It made sense that he would have some help."

"Kevin McCohn," Hawkes spoke up. "About a year ago, he was arrested for a simple possession charge but was found hanging in his cell a week before his trial. It has to be him."

Flack barely registered what Hawkes was saying, and tried to remember the case. He actually did. He was trying to remember if Kevin had a brother.

"That's right. I told his brother what happened," Stella said. "Flack, his name is Chase. Chase McCohn."

Flack nodded. "You're wrong, Chase. I didn't want Kevin to die anymore than you did. It was only a possession charge – just some weed too, right? Not even a serious charge of cocaine or heroin." The voice was silent when he realized Flack knew who he was. "But Kevin was sick. He had psychological problems, as I'm sure you were aware. He did it himself. It wasn't my fault, and it's not your fault. These things happen. It's not fair to drag Kate into this."

"Shut up!" the voice yelled. "So, you know me. Fine. But _you're_ wrong. Kevin didn't have problems – he was a great guy who was always there for me. He never did anything wrong in his life; except getting involved with this bitch. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Over the loudspeaker, they heard a woman whimpering. "Not..true..Don," the woman said. Flack's heart broke. It was Kate.

Mac signaled Flack to not get emotional. But Flack couldn't bare it any longer. "Don't worry, babe, I'm here!" he said. He heard the sound of a hard slap, and knew Chase had hit Kate again. His heart sank. He couldn't take it.

He stepped out from the truck and into the open space. "Enough! You want me, Chase? You want to teach me a lesson? Then take me! Take me out right now, just let her go!"

The CSIs tried to move the car to get Flack behind some cover, but Flack refused it. Chase spoke again. "Sorry, Detective. That's not how this is gonna end. I don't want you to die, I just want you to watch someone you love die. See you soon."

Everyone stood still. No one knew what was going on, and all of a sudden they looked toward the opening of the hangar and saw who they assumed was Chase McCohn holding a gun to a beaten Kate Monroe's head. Flack's heart sunk even further, and he drew his gun, ready to kill the bastard on sight.

"I come in peace, Detective," Chase called out to Flack. "I have no backup, no other men. I am aware that after I shoot Miss Monroe you will take me into custody or even shoot me yourself, and I am OK with that. I am at peace, for 'yea I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil.'"

Seeing Kate the way she was, tears formed in Flack's eyes. He barely registered what Chase was saying; he was too busy focusing on the fear in her eyes.

"Say goodbye to your whore, Don," Chase said. Kate closed her eyes tightly.

A gunshot rang.

Chase fell to the ground.

Kate fell next to him.


	7. Hero

I can't believe it's taken me this long to finish this…I'm so sorry!

_A gunshot rang._

Everything happened so fast, it was almost like it didn't happen at all. One second, Chase McCohn looks like he is actually going to pull the trigger and end Kate's life.

_Chase fell to the ground._

Next second, he's lying on the pavement; blood forming in a pool of red goop near his head, with little pieces of brain speckled on the ground. And Flack stood across from him, holding a smoking gun.

_Kate fell next to him._

Due to intense physical and emotional exhaustion, Kate collapsed with Chase. The gun rattled next to her, and with a last ounce of strength she pushed it away.

Danny and Mac ran to confirm Chase's death. Flack rushed to Kate's side, brushing hair out of her face and searching for injuries.

In the distance, sirens of ambulances and more police cars could be heard.

"It's OK, baby," Flack whispered. "It's all going to be OK. I promise. I'm here. I'm here."

And with that, Kate silently cried before falling into unconsciousness.

Two weeks later…

Flack was cleared of any and all charges on Chase McCohn's death. He found out that Kate had met Chase's brother, Kevin, at Gio's where Kevin was a regular. He hit on Kate numerous times, and Kate had reciprocated by having him thrown out. Apparently, Kevin was so infatuated with the bartending bombshell that he made up a relationship between the two for his brother's sake.

After what seemed like forever, Kate was finally able to leave the hospital. A nurse was wheeling Kate back into her room, and she saw Flack sitting in the corner – a spot he had located daily for the past two weeks – holding a single red rose and a small box.

"What is that?" Kate asked, looking at the box.

Flack smiled. "Open it."

She slowly opened the box and looked inside. It was a key.

"A key? I don't get it."

"It's a key to my apartment. I want you to live with me," Flack said.

Kate looked skeptical, like she was about to refuse, but Flack stopped her. Getting up, he crossed the room to where she was and sat on her bed to face her. "After recent events, I would never be able to sleep with you halfway across town. If I couldn't see you, and hold you at all times, I don't know what I'd do. So please, just think about it."

Kate looked back at the key, and ran her fingers over it. A new level – a new step - in the life of Kate Monroe and Don Flack. It was scary. It was exciting.

It was right.

"Of course I'll move in with you," she said. Flack smiled, leaned in and kissed her.

"You mean the world to me," Flack said. "I'll always be there for you."

Kate smiled. "I love you, too," she said. "You're my hero."


End file.
